Resilient vehicle wheel



G.. VORDERMARK. assu-ENT vsmcu; WHEEL.` APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2 0. 1920.

1,420,393. Patented Junezo, A1922.

Its

`305 ZZ 7 BY TTORNE Y.

@75ML l UNTE GEORGE, vOeDEaMeaa or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA- nnsrmnur vnrrroLn WHEEL.

.Specificaties of Letters Patent Patented J une 2 0, 19,22.

Application filed December 20, y1920. Serial No. 431,313.

T 0 all whom. tmf/,y concern.' s

Be it known that l, GEORGE VORDERMARK, a citizen of the TJnited States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of indiana, have invented a new and useful Resilient Vehicle lllheel, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying dra wingsu.nd to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates tothe type of vehicle wheel that is designed for automobiles and is especially adapted for motor trucks, the invention having reference more particularly .to a vehicle wheel of the type that has resilient lconnection between the rim and the hub of the wheel.

An object of the invention is to provide a resilientwheel forroad vehicles which shall have few and simple parts designed to be produced at small cost and be strong and not liable to' fractureor damage, especially when overloaded. v

Another object is to rovide an improved vehicle wheel which sliall have longitudi nally resilient spokes, `and disks so ,constructed and arranged as to constitute driving connections between the hub'and the rim of the wheel in a simple and reliable manner.

A further object is to rovide a resilient vehicle Wheel in which springsspokes may be used in 'a novel 'manner to render vthe wheel resilient'and also constitute devices enabling a driving axle to drive the rim of the wheel, and which shall be so constructed that the wheel'will not be disabled but may be operated in emergency in case of fracture of the spring-spokes.

A still further object is to provide a resilient vehicle wheel which shall be so con str-noted as to permit ready repairs in case of unavoidable breakage by accident or overloading; which wheel shall be durable and economical in use. V

With the above-mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in a vehicle wheel having novel resilient spokes, 7

and disks constituting supporting and driving means between the hub and the rimportions of the wheel; and, the invention consists also further in the novel parts and features, and in the combinations and'arrangements thereof, as hereinafter particularly described and further' defined in the accompanying claims.

' Referring to the drawings,-Figure l is a front view of the improved wheel partially in section; Fig. 2 is a section of the wheel on an `enlarged scale approximately .onthe line lll-ll in Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary ysection approximately on the line Ill-'1H `in Fig. l'.y on an enlarged scale, the resilient spoke being omitted; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail showing portions ofthe innerY side of ,the wheel; Fig.I 5 is a4 fragmentary section approximatelyon the line 'lV-V in Figfl';

and7 Fig.l 6 is a fragmentary ,section'ap-V pro,xirnately on the line Vif-YI in Fig. l. Similarreference characters in the various figures of the Kdrawings indicate corresponding elements or features of .construction hereinreferred to in detail. n

A practical Yembodiment of the invention, as preferably constructed, comprises a suitable hub member which may be advantageously composed of an annular inner part l and" an outer part 2 embracing thefinner part. The inner part may be non-metallic,

such as wood or vulcanized fibery to deaden sound, and the outer part should preferably be composed of metal. The hub nember is providedwith a suitable number of bolts 3 arranged in a circle, each bolt having a head 4; adjacent to the backof the wheel, and a nut 5' on the front of the wheel. The p eriphery of the hub member has 4a suitable number of slots or recesses 6 constituting spoke sockets that extend entirely across the periphery of the member. A pair yof disks -or wheel webs 7 and 8 are provided which preferably are composed of 'dief pressed metal7 the disks being arranged on opposite ends respectively of the hub member and se- -cured by the bolts thereto. The hub member has a suitable-bearing box 9 therein which preferably has a flange l() extending against the disk 8 and directly engaged by the heads of the securing bolts. It will be' understood that the box may be provided with any suitable or preferred type of bearing devices to suit -the necessary axle of' such type as may be preferred` radial grooves ill and l2 respectively vin the inner sides thereof, the grooves preferably being formed by p-ressing'out the metal of thefdisk so as to form imitation spokes 13 and lllon the outer side of the disks. The grooves correspond in number to the spoke sockets 6. f The width of the portion of .each groove which is opposite to one end of the socket is equal to the width of the socket and rlhe disks or webs l? and 8 have improved l extends inward as tar as the bottom ot the socket. Each groove has side portions l and 16 that extend divergcntiy each to the other from the hub member towards theperipheral portion of the disk or web, the outer end being broader than the inner end of the groove. A suitable numberl of stu-'fl bolts 17 are arranged between the disks and each is provided with relatively small end portions that extend through the disks .respectively and have nuts 18 and l) thereon engaging the outer sides oi? the disks rewebs.

spectively.

The necessary rim member of the wheel may be variously constructed so as to be provided with such type of tire as may be desired. As preferred, the rim member comprises an inner part 2O composed of ,metal and having a suitable number of recesses or slots 21 constituting spoke sockets that are equal 'in width to those in the hub member., which is less than the width of the groove at the rim member. The rim member is received between the disks or webs 7 and 8 and is permitted to slide relatively thereto. The rim member 20 may be ci' any desired thickness but preferably is thin and provided with an outer part 22 composed oi` non-metallic material such as wood or vulcanized Vfiber adapted to deaden sound vandhaving a metallic tire23 thereon, the

latter being broader than the rim member so as to be engaged under unusual circumstances by the outer edges of Athe'disks or In some cases the metallic tire 28 may be suitably adapted to retain a solid rubber tire 24- which may be arranged thereon.y

AA resilient spring-spoke 25 is provided which is of novel form, each spoke having one end seated in a slot or socket 6 and eX- being seated in a socket or slot 21 in the rim member and extending into the grooves.`

Each spring-spoke iscomposed of a coil of spring-steel, but the coil is slightly flattened so as to have straight side portions and curvedend portions, the latter being arranged in the grooves ot the disks to constitute keys in the grooves whereby to afford driving connect-ions. the arrangement being clearly shown more particularly in Figure 5, the spiingspoke being adapted to extend beyond the sideV edges of the hub member and the rim member and to have relatively narrow portions in the grooves to'enable the sides oi the grooves to engage theispokeand thereby drive the rim portion, the disks or'webs being rotated or 'driven vby the hub member.

The inner sides lof the disks 7 and 8 preferably have annular recesses or packing Yretainers 26 and 2"? respectively in which hub.

to have contact with the rim member and exclude water and dust from the space between the disks or webs. The recesses preferably are formed by pressing out the metal o'l the disks so as to form. external ribs or beads 30 and 31 respectively.

ln practical use7 as the wheel rolls on the ground the hub and the disks slightly descend; or in case the rim rolls over a stone or high place in the road, the rim rises and compresses the lowermost spring-spokes with little or no shock or thrust against the The tapering grooves in the disks-or webs permit the Vdisks to move upward or downward without interference by the spring-spokes that at themoment may be extended horizontally. In case of fracture ot a spring-spoke the disks may descend until their edges are in contact with the metallic tire 23. f

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A resi-lient vehicle wheel including a rim member, a hub member, a pair of webs secured to the hub member and slidably engaging opposite sides respectively of the rim member, and a plurality of longitudinallyresilient spokes seated on the hubmember and the rim member, each spoke being composed of a fiattened coil spring and being laterally engaged by the webs to' enable the webs to drive the rim member.

2. A resilient vehicle wheel including an annular rim memberr an annular hub member, a plurality of longitudinally-resilient spokes seated directly on the hub member and connected directly with the rim member in keyed arrangement to drive the rim member rotatively.y and a pair of webs secured to the hub member and slidably engag-ing` opposite sides of thev rim member, the webs having operative connection directly with the spokes to move them circumferentially and enable themto drive the rim member. 1

3. A resilient vehicle wheel including arim member Vhaving sockets extending across the inner side thereof, a hub memberliaving sockets in the outer side thereof, longitudinally-resilient spokes seated' in the sockets in the rim member andthe hub member., the spokes having transversely straight sides engaging the sides yof* the sockets.V and a pair of webs secured tothe hubmember and slidably engaging the rim member, each web having radial grooves in the inner side thereof that eXtend'to'they planes of the bottoms of the sockets andclose the ends of the sockets inthe rim member, the grooves receiving portions'of the spokes.

4. In a resilient vehicle wheel, the combination of an annular hub -member having socket recesses extending entirely across secured to the hub member and having tapered grooves in the inner sides thereof extending' to the opposite ends respectively of the socket recesses, the outer ends being broader than the inner ends of the grooves,

each web having an annular packing groove in its inner side arranged between the periphery of the web and the outer ends of the grooves, packing rings in the packing grooves respectively, a rim member movably arranged between the webs and the packing rings and having socket recesses extending entirely across the inner side thereof to the grooves in the webs, stud-bolts between the webs secured thereto, a tire embracing the rim member and extending beyond the opposite sides thereof to permit engagement portions extending into the grooves in thewebs respectively, the springs having trans- `versely straight circumferentially forward and rearward bars engaging the sides of the recesses, each of said bars being longer than the distance between the bars of opposite sides of the spring. y

In testimony whereof, I aiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE VORDERMARK. Witnesses:

E. T. SILVIUS, M. D. STEELE. 

